December 24th, 2011
New Orleans, Louisiana
Carver Park
*bang* *bang* *bang*
Screams and gunshots rang throughout the park as several bodies hit the grass. The music stops as everyone runs around to escape the park. From the back of the stage, Dean looks among the crowd, trying to find the source of the shots.
*bang* *bang*
"Shit!"
Dean tells Imani to get to safety as he jumps into the crowd. He was without a firearm because of the security measures, but he had to do something. Dean could see the man in tactical gear from where he was standing.
"EVERYBODY STAY LOW AND KEEP MOVING!" Dean shouts, pushing people out the way.
Top Gun shoots a man trying to pull his friend to safety, killing him. A couple of security guards shoot at Gun, hitting him in the back. Gun switches to his SMG, and lets off the entire magazine. Both security guards are hit. One getting shot in the neck, the other in the leg and chest. As Gun reloads, Dean tackles him from behind.
They both hit the ground. Top Gun dropping his Ar-15, but keeping a grip on the SMG. Dean climbs on top of Gun, reaching for the SMG. Both men roll around struggling to pry it from each others hands. Gun's physique is a little too much for Dean, pulling it in towards himself. Gun manages to let off a few shots with one hitting Dean in the head. Dean falls over and lays limp on the ground.
"OH MY GOD!" Screams Imani from the distance.
Bayley screams to her friend to get in the car. Frozen in shock, Bayley's security picks up Imani and drags her away.
"NO! GET OFF ME! WE CAN'T LEAVE HIM! PLEASE GOD NO!"
Imani is tossed into the back seat. Bayley holds her friend, who's shaking and crying in disbelief. Bayley's eyes are red and watery, trying to block everything out. The driver pulls off as more gunshots ring in the distance.
Top Gun shoots a couple more security guards before heading back to the van. Dean slowly opens his eyes, seeing the dead bodies and chaos around him.
"How the hell am I alive?" He wonders while feeling his head.
The bullet just grazed him. Leaving a big scratch on the upper right side of his forehead. Blood leaking down to his right eye. Dean surveys the area, noticing Top Gun making a break for it. He gets to his feet and grabs a couple of pistols from the dead security. Tucking one in the back of his pants and cocking the other one.
"You aint getting away as long as I'm breathing asshole." Dean mutters while running to the van.
Gun pulls off without noticing Dean. Dean runs as fast as he possibly could, channeling his inner Yusain Bolt. Catching up to the van, Dean jumps onto the back. Holding on to the door handle and barely balancing his feet on the bumper. Gun drives for half a mile up the road, picking up speed as he crosses a bridge. Gun swerves what little traffic there is, making Dean hold on for dear life. A speed bump causes Dean to almost lose his grip. One foot slips off, dragging on the ground while Dean tries to open the back door.
"Fuck, its locked! Plan B!"
Hanging off the door, Dean shoots out both back tires. The van rolls another 5 feet on the bridge before the tires burst and the rims hit the ground. Gun loses control while trying to swerve traffic. Gun crashes into the side of the bridge, unknowingly knocking Dean off. Dean hits the ground rolling, dropping the pistol, tearing his clothes and scratching up his arms and legs. The small amount of traffic stops behind the crash. People getting out their cars to see the destruction.
"GET OUT OF HERE! HE'S ARMED! GET BACK IN YOUR CARS AND GO!" Dean screams from the ground.
Gun kicks open the door, slightly limping out the driver's seat. A large amount of blood on his arm and under the mask. He reloads his Ar-15 and starts shooting. People scream and duck behind their cars. Dean rolls to cover behind the van, reaching for the extra pistol he tucked away. He checks the clip, only seeing three bullets.
"Better make this count."
Dean peeks from cover, seeing Gun heading for the civilians. Possibly to steal a car for an escape. Dean takes aim and shoots Gun in his left calf. Gun falls to one knee and turns around. Dean shoots again, hitting Gun in his right hand. Gun uses his left hand to shoot in Dean's direction. A bright light flashes in Top Gun's face, as a car rolls up and runs him over.
"Holy fuck!" Yells the driver of the car.
It gets quiet and no one makes any sudden movements. Dean comes from behind cover and limps over to Top Gun. Dean kicks his body a few times to confirm his death. Gun a bloody mess from the hit. Dean turns his sore body to the driver who ran Gun over. An old Asian man sat in the car looking horrified.
"Good job buddy." Dean shouts, giving a thumbs up.
People start shouting prompting Dean to turn back around. Top Gun is slowly getting to his feet. His body a total wreck, but he's still moving. Dean is shocked, seeing the killer's eyes through the cracked mask he wore. Bloody and beaten, Top Gun makes it to his feet. He slowly creeps over to Dean, who's still shocked by Gun's resurrection.
"Is this guy the fucking terminator?!"
Dean throws up his fists, ready to fight. Just before making it to Dean, Gun drops to his knees. Breathing heavily, he uses his fingers to motion Dean towards him. Dean hesitantly moves toward Gun.
"Si...ow." Gun murmurs.
"What?"
Gun motions Dean once again to come closer. Dean crouches next to Gun, leaning over.
"Sandow." He murmurs again before dropping dead to the ground.
Dean collapses on his back, staring at the cold night sky. Out of energy and beat down. The smell of gasoline and blood burning his nose. A full moon is out, and he spent Christmas Eve chasing a shooter. Police sirens can be heard in the distance, as people surround Dean and Gun.
A couple of hours later, Dean sits in the local hospital. After the police got their questions in, he was bandaged up and left to rest. Although he kept the reveal about Sandow to himself. With his work phone destroyed in the chase, and his personal at the motel, he hasn't made contact with anyone from work. He could imagine their reactions after seeing that shit on the news. Other than that, his head was in shambles. He sat on the side of the bed just thinking. Seeing those people laid out on the ground. The cries and screams of the ones running for their lives. He'd seem something similar during a couple of prison riots, but those were criminals.
"He's right in here." Says a doctor from the hallway.
Imani and Bayley enter the room in tears. They both hug Dean while crying.
"Ow, ow, ow. Still injured."
Both women apologize as they let him go.
"I can't believe you're alive." Imani cries out.
"You had us in a wreck." Bayley added, clutching her chest.
Dean hops off the bed and starts putting his battered clothes on.
"What are you doing?" Asks Bayley.
"I need a drink. They're not gonna give me one in here." Dean replied quietly.
"You can't leave in your current condition!" Said Imani.
"Watch me."
The doctors try to stop Dean as he leaves, but he gently pushes them to the side. This wasn't his first rodeo, and the injuries he has now were bug bites compared to his previous fights. Bayley signs off, telling them to send any of Dean's medical bills to her manager. They escort Dean to Imani's car and head back to Lafayette. Dean sleeps on Bayley's lap in the backseat while Imani drives. The clock on the radio saying 1:03 AM.
"Did you call Luther?" Asks Imani.
"Yeah, I let him know I'm fine."
"I still can't believe what happened. One of the worst experiences of my life."
"I know. All of those people. What kind of monster would do this?"
Dean could hear them, but stayed silent. After stopping by the motel to grab Dean's bags, they drive to Imani's home. Imani and Bayley carry Dean on their shoulders into the house and drop him on the couch.
"Thanks girls."
"Don't worry about it. You're a hero." Said Imani.
"Don't feel like one."
Everybody gets settled in, trying to relax. Christmas music playing to get everyone comfortable. Imani and Dean are on the couch and Bayley kicks back in a recliner, smoking a cigarette. Food and wine along the table. Imani changes to a nightgown. Bayley to a tank top and night shorts. Dean chills out in sweat pants, drinking a bottle of whiskey. He's shirtless, showing all the cuts and wounds from his body. Some fresh and others old.
"Why do you look like Frankenstein?" Asks Bayley.
"Prison mostly. Other cuts coming from bar fights, accidents, and my parents."
"Parents?"
"What can I say. Papa was a douche and my mom needed one."
"I'm just glad to have you guys with me tonight. I know this is a shitty Christmas, but at least we made it back safely, and that son of a bitch is dead." Said Imani.
"I'll drink to that." Says Dean raising the bottle.
After ending the night on somewhat of a high, Dean sleeps on the couch. Imani went to bed in her room. Its all quiet, until Bayley is heard vomiting in the bathroom.
"You alright Booboo?" Dean asks from the couch.
"Can you bring me some water?"
Dean sleepily wanders into the kitchen and back to the bathroom with the water. Handing it to her as she leans on the toilet.
"Drink too much?"
"Yeah. Trying to clear my head. Ended up making it worse. Help me up."
Dean brings her to her feet. She leans against Dean to hold her balance, knocking Dean a little off his balance.
"Sorry." She says laughing.
Feeling a little dizzy, she grabs Dean's waist to support herself. She looks up at his face, saying nothing.
"What?" He asks.
She pulls in his head, kissing him. Dean obliges, wrapping his arms around her. He sticks his fingers through her shorts and panties, dropping them to her ankles. He picks her up, putting her on the sink. She uses her feet to drop Dean's sweat pants, then wrapping her legs around him, bringing him in closer. He lifts her tank top to get her breasts out, then they go to town.
Dean looks at himself in the mirror. Another crop of thoughts running through his head while Bayley softly moans. How did they get here? Was it mindless self indulgence? Loneliness? A small sense of security? Or a half drunken one night stand? Whatever it was, it was distracting him from what should be the highlight of his year.
They redress and Bayley is off to bed while Dean cleans up their mess. Finishing up, he checks on Bayley who's fast asleep. He walks to Imani's room and peeks in the door. Also sleeping, perfect. Dean gets dressed in some fresh clothes. While tying his boots, he sees a wooden lion mask on Imani's wall. An interesting choice of decor. He grabs that, a hooded jacket, and Imani's keys before heading out the door.
Across town, the sun just cracks the sky as dawn begins. Shining a bit of light through Sandow's bedroom window. He lays asleep in bed with a young blonde. One he met after a night of partying. An alarm goes off playing "Holly Jolly Christmas". With the alarm waking her up, she crawls over Sandow and shuts it off. She fully opens her eyes to see the hooded Dean in the lion mask. Sitting in a chair, quietly at the end of the bed. She opens her mouth, but Dean points a gun at her.
"Scream and you die. Wake him up." Dean commands.
She hastily shakes Sandow, causing him to wake up angry.
"What do you want woman? Oh." He says noticing the masked Dean.
"Lets take a ride."
Dean pistol whips the woman, knocking her out and taking Sandow hostage. Only in his underwear, Sandow is thrown in the trunk while he curses. Dean starts the car and cuts on the radio, hearing about last night's shooting and the altercation on the bridge afterwards.
"...and the suspect who has yet to be identified, was chased down to the Ritten Bridge by a man who is believed to work for the FBI. His identity was kept a secret by police. Witnesses say the man was helped by a citizen, who ran over the shooter while attempting to make an escape..."
"I don't work for the damn FBI."
Dean cuts off the radio, getting close to where he was going. Dean pulls over and opens the trunk. Sandow kicks in self defense, screaming for help. Dean smacks him a few times with the pistol and yanks him out the trunk. Sandow looks around, seeing he's in the famous Louisiana bayou. A horrible thought runs across his head.
"Oh god no."
"Start walking!" Demands Dean pressing the gun to Sandow's head.
Sandow begs for a swift death as they walk towards the water. He wasn't afraid to die, but he knew what was coming. Dean stays quiet, only pressing Sandow forward. Sandow could see the green, scaled tails gliding through the dirty water.
"Please. Just shoot me now. Don't do this to me! I'll give you anything you want. Just not like this! PLEASE! PLEASE!"
Dean still doesn't say a word, but shoots Sandow in the shoulder and kicks him into the pond.
"FEEDING TIME!" Dean yells.
Smelling blood in the water, the alligators make their way over. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Sandow flails around and tries to climb back onto land. Dean kicks him back in as the gator's surround him. Dean watches in sick pleasure as Sandow is ripped apart by the gators.
"That is fucking nasty. Better hurry back."
Imani sits up in bed, the sun shining bright on Christmas day. After freshening up in the bathroom, she goes to check on her friends. Bayley is snoring in the recliner, but Dean is gone. She runs over to the couch, alarmed by his absence.
"Dean?"
"Yeah?"
Dean walks in from the kitchen. Back in his sweat pants and holding juice.
"Oh thank goodness. Just making sure you were okay."
"I'm fine, and you're out of juice."
Later that day, Bayley and Imani drop Dean off at the airport. Bayley's security guard is driving just to be safe. The guard drops them at the door to say their farewells while he spins around the area. Bayley hugs Dean and whispers in his ear.
"What happens in Louisiana, stays in Louisiana."
"Gotcha Booboo. By the way, can I ask a favor?"
After asking, Bayley lets go so Imani can say her goodbyes. She looks a little upset as she looks down at the ground. Preparing herself for what to say.
"Everything alright?" He asks concerned
"Yes, its just. Dean, I must say I got a lot more than I bargained for when you came around."
"Usually when people say that I leave in handcuffs." Dean jokes.
"Well I guess this is an exception. I met you as a hired hand, but you're leaving as a dear friend. Dean you will always be welcome to my home, and the Velvet Showroom. Call me if you ever need someone to talk to as well. I can always make time for a hero."
"I promise you I aint no hero. But thanks."
They both hug and she whispers in Dean's ear.
"I heard Damien Sandow went missing this morning. His girlfriend took a blow to the head and doesn't remember anything. What's the chances of that happening?"
"About 0 to nothing to do with me." He whispers back.
"Thank you Dean."
Dean heads to his flight to get settled in. The amount of paperwork for this one is gonna be brutal. He pulls out his personal phone which is blown up with messages and missed calls from Paige, Seth and Hunter. Even Roman made a call. Dean's heart eased a lot, coming to the realization that there are people that care about him.
Even then, what happened out here is gonna stick with him forever. He realized more than ever why his job important. Dean tells himself that now is the time to become a better man. In the meantime, its time to relax. He puts on headphones and turns on a Youtube playlist of Bayley's music. Nah screw that. How about a little Alter Bridge.